Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-23
MGERSOLL At HOME.
Ella Wheeler Describes the Great
,InhdeI's Private Life--His Wife
and Family.
4 Eeme OF FiliaI AffecflOn-His Beliefs
and Their Effects-The Coed and
Harm He has D0nes
His Wealth OF Language snd Conversation
FODdDess for tho Adjective s'Oaan."
His Adaptiveness es q Cook.
Oopyrighted, 1881.

copyrighted, 1857.
To understand the belief OF Robert In
gersou one needs to know his home life.
The moment the door opens to admi
you the warm, aEectional atmosphere O
the home seems to envelop you.
believe every house is strongly i'm
pregnsted with the mental snd sptritus
condition Of its inmates, Just as garments
reveal the shape and odor of their wear
ers.
once entered house filed with rlct
hangings and elegant furniture. All that
money and good taste could do was done
to render 1t q bower of beauty. But
felt as if chilled By q cold Jog
when I passed through its wide
and splendid halls. There were dis.
cordant and inhsrmorious elements in
that house. 1t was not home, in the
true sense OF the word. It's members
were divided among themselves, and their
unhappy feelings generated current
which aHected every sensitiVely organized
person who entered the door.
Unfortunately, not every so-called
Christian household is home. I knew s
family who INDUCED in morning and
evening prayers, and were strict in at
tendance at church. Yet the daughters
quarrelled with each other, were impu-
dent to their mother, and the father was
constantly finding fault with the most
trivial household affairs.
To such Hen certainly the beautiful
home-life Of Robert IngereoII is 6 severe
rebuke.
The first time I saw Mrs. IngersoI I
said to friend, "she looks like much
loved woman"
PeOpl who receive great deal of love
and good care usually show the evidence
OF it, Just as q loVeless, harassed life re-
Veals lts starved and pitiful condition,
no matter how IL may seek TO disguise
the fact.
Mrs. Ingersou radiates happiness and
content. She looks up into the beaming,
jovisl face OF her husband with an ex-
preston which tells its own story-it is
SO full OF happy gratitude and sweet AZ
lection.
The two fair daughters are like rays Of
sunlight emanating from this union. One
OF the girls looks like young goddess,
and possesses an exquisite voice n song.
heard Americas greatest ballsd-msker
say recently that no World-famous diva
ever gave him the peculiar pleasure he
found in listening to Miss Ingersoll's
singing.
"Not highly cultivated or powerful
voice." he said, "but possessed OF that
subtle magnetism which sends the little
thrills creeping up and down your
spine"
nevar Cow q sr,oo+o, ho,-,oLoI5
never before saw so much affectionate
reverence exhibited by wife and children
toward any man.
1t seems 8 pity that this great orator,
whose daily life at home and among hu-
mGnity is religion in itself, should be
quoted as their leader by brSinless
men Who live only to make the world
wicked.
Let NE ssy right here that I earnestly
and confidently believe in future life, in
the efficacy Of prayer, and in some mode
OF punishment IN the next world Tor sin
full souls who have escaped it here. Yet
I believe Robert Ingersou has done the
world great deal Of coed by hurting his
OF irony against the closed
doors of narrow cEeeds.
AS that remarkable girl-poet, Lizette
WoodWcrth Reese, has said in her WON
derful couplet,
"Creeds grow so thick along the Yay,
Their boughs hide God-I Cannot pray"
But Robert IngersOu in his sarcastic
denuncietions OF Wora- out theologicaI
dogmss, in his ridicule Of the old fash
Toned hell of burning birthstone, and in
his earnest plea to men to worship the
"DiVinity within themselves" has only |
helped to cut away the beughs which OBJ |
structed our view, and allowed US to see
Goa more clearly in the world about US. |
He has compelled the Christian church |
es to broaden their creeds, and to preach |
more love and less fear from the pulpit |
The most prejudiced bigot dares not Of
fer an intelligent congregation today the |
theories which were served to Us undi- |
luted with reason fifteen years ago.
l am convinced that greater CREDITS |
due to Robert Ingersoll for this result |
than to all other causes.
Yet, on the other hand, he has done a
great deal of harm.
There is, unfortunately, more ignor-
snce than intelligence in the world. a
great many coarse-grained and low-im-
pulsed people, unable to grasp the idea Of
high morality which he teaches, merely
seize at his "no hell" theories, chuckle
over bis blowg at creeds, and quote him
rs their teacher and guide. If rebuked
ior theirivicious, immoral, and ungodly
ives, they say they are followers OF "Bob
and "don't believe in no re-
igion nohow."
All his Illustrations Of noble manhood,
strict morality, and never-ceasing beuevo-
ence are lost on this brutal herd, who
re only able to understand that he is q
great man, and that he SCOTS at creeds.
Many young poets clsim to study and
olloW the methods Of Byron, of Brown
ng, of Swinburne. Byron INDUCED
RELY in poetical license and faulty
hYmes. Browning is mystical and often
:bored. SWinburne given 20 over-much
ALTERATION and sensuousness. But the !
,reat thoughts and brilliant wit Of Byron,
he profuudity and master workmanship
4 Browning, the splendor and gorgeouss IS
less OF Swinburne's style, all render
hese faults eXcusable. = 4
The young poet who has neither wit, 81
epth, nor originality copies the7poeticaI
cense, the vsgueness, or the sensuo1g- l.
ess, and ssys he has but follewedthef
laSters. NJ Il
Just so, many young men believe thsy
re followers of Robert Ipgersou. With {
@ comprehension of the mans. great
rain, greater heart, and profoUndly |
ioral life, they ape his ecspticisn of
reeds, his scorn OF priestly rites and GER ,
monies, and In the midst of Vieiousness
ec'are themselves 'fcoaverts TO Tiger